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Osborne has insulted a million young people, says TUC leader in waiting Osborne has insulted a million young people, says TUC leader in waiting
(about 3 hours later)
Nearly 1 million young unemployed people are being insulted by government claims that Britain's jobless population is shirking work, according to the TUC's leader in waiting.Nearly 1 million young unemployed people are being insulted by government claims that Britain's jobless population is shirking work, according to the TUC's leader in waiting.
In a strong message to ministers, a TUC anti-cuts protest march in central London on Saturday would be led by young unemployed people who had "put in hundreds of job applications" without success, said Frances O'Grady. The general secretary designate of the trade union movement's umbrella organisation said George Osborne's Conservative party conference speech, which referred to indolent benefit claimants "sleeping off a life on benefits" was demeaning to a generation of 16- to-24-year-olds struggling to find work. In a strong message to ministers, a TUC anti-cuts protest march in central London on Saturday will be led by young unemployed people who have "put in hundreds of job applications" without success, said Frances O'Grady. The TUC general secretary designate said George Osborne's Tory party conference speech, which referred to indolent claimants "sleeping off a life on benefits", was demeaning to a generation of 16- to-24-year-olds struggling to find work.
"We are getting talented young people being told that they are daytime TV addicts. That's a little insulting," said O'Grady. "It does feel a bit rich when most people don't have the privilege of using who they know as a way of getting a good job.""We are getting talented young people being told that they are daytime TV addicts. That's a little insulting," said O'Grady. "It does feel a bit rich when most people don't have the privilege of using who they know as a way of getting a good job."
The latest unemployment figures, for the three months to August, showed that the number of jobless young people fell below 1 million to about 957,000. The TUC estimates that tens of thousands of marchers will attend the protest and a climactic rally at Hyde Park, where the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, will join trade union leaders to give a brief speech. It has been dubbed the "march for the alternative" against government spending cuts. The latest unemployment figures, for the three months to August, showed the number of jobless young people fell below 1 million to about 957,000. The TUC estimates tens of thousands of marchers will attend the protest and rally at Hyde Park, where the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, will join union leaders to give a brief speech. It has been dubbed the "march for the alternative" against government spending cuts.
Referring to the continuing furore over Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell's confrontation with police officers at the gates of Downing Street, which allegedly involved him calling one officer a "pleb" and has led to calls for his resignation, O'Grady said: "If it was just a case of somebody losing their rag, that's one thing. But I think what shocked some was the class contempt that was expressed, by which I mean less the reference to plebs – which wasn't exactly complimentary – but the 'best know your place' comment, which I think says something very profound about the psyche of someone in such a position of power. Referring to the furore over Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell's confrontation with police officers at the gates of Downing Street, which allegedly involved him calling one officer a "pleb" and has led to calls for his resignation, O'Grady said: "If it was just a case of somebody losing their rag, that's one thing.
"But I think what shocked some was the class contempt that was expressed, by which I mean less the reference to plebs – which wasn't exactly complimentary – but the 'best know your place' comment, which I think says something very profound about the psyche of someone in such a position of power.
"Secondly, I think a lot of people felt riled by the sense of double standards because certainly if this happened in a workplace it would be defined as bullying behaviour. Understandably, there is a lot of popular disquiet about that behaviour." "Secondly, I think a lot of people felt riled by the sense of double standards because certainly if this happened in a workplace it would be defined as bullying behaviour. Understandably, there is a lot of popular disquiet about that behaviour."
She added that the chancellor's proposal that a firm could tempt workers into relinquishing basic rights in exchange for shares "gives business a bad name". O'Grady said: "If the business response so far is anything to go by it will be a big flop. But we have to stay vigilant."She added that the chancellor's proposal that a firm could tempt workers into relinquishing basic rights in exchange for shares "gives business a bad name". O'Grady said: "If the business response so far is anything to go by it will be a big flop. But we have to stay vigilant."
The TUC's deputy general secretary, who takes over from Brendan Barber in the new year, said the marches in London would bring together a broad coalition of people from trade union members to faith groups and disability campaigners, embodying the spirit of Miliband's "one nation Labour" party conference speech. The TUC's deputy general secretary, who takes over from Brendan Barber in the new year, said the marches in London would bring together a coalition of people from union members to faith groups and disability campaigners, embodying the spirit of Miliband's "one nation Labour" party conference speech.
"In many ways it's exactly what the trade union movement is doing. We are bringing together people from across the nation, from all walks of life, united in saying there must be a better way and that we have got alternatives. So the big challenge is how that one nation philosophy is shaped into practical policies that provide answers to the real problems that ordinary families are facing.""In many ways it's exactly what the trade union movement is doing. We are bringing together people from across the nation, from all walks of life, united in saying there must be a better way and that we have got alternatives. So the big challenge is how that one nation philosophy is shaped into practical policies that provide answers to the real problems that ordinary families are facing."
Miliband will repeat his One Nation message in a post-march rally at Hyde Park where he will tell attendees: "You don't build a successful country with sink or swim," adding that "self-defeating austerity" has "cut too far and too fast".
Among the policy alternatives being called for by the TUC are root and branch reform of the banking system, an end to a multi-year public sector pay freeze and an active industrial strategy to boost high-end manufacturing jobs.Among the policy alternatives being called for by the TUC are root and branch reform of the banking system, an end to a multi-year public sector pay freeze and an active industrial strategy to boost high-end manufacturing jobs.
The march is taking place against a backdrop of renewed threats of co-ordinated strike action against the government's deficit-cutting policies, led by demands for an end to a public sector pay hiatus that could stretch to five years under Osborne's plans. However, calls for the consideration of a general strike, supported at the TUC conference in September, are unlikely to result in a mass walkout by the TUC's 6 million affiliated members. The march is taking place against a backdrop of renewed threats of co-ordinated strike action against the government's deficit-cutting policies, led by demands for an end to a public sector pay hiatus that could stretch to five years under Osborne's plans.
O'Grady declined to be drawn on the issue of co-ordinated strikes over pay, or a general strike. "In respect of industrial action the TUC will be ready to co-ordinate and support any industrial action that members vote for." However, adding that millions of people are becoming increasingly angry over the slow recovery from the banking collapse and the accompanying austerity measures, she said: "We are not going to be sat around twiddling our thumbs, waiting for a better dawn. We have to put pressure on the government in power, now." However, calls for the consideration of a general strike, supported at the TUC conference in September, are unlikely to result in a mass walkout by the TUC's 6 million affiliated members.
Signalling her vision for the trade union movement as TUC general secretary, O'Grady said the TUC, which represents more than 50 trade unions, would push for unions to reassert their links with communities through memberships for the unemployed and other ventures, such as backing credit unions in a fightback against the payday loan phenomenon. O'Grady declined to be drawn on the issue of co-ordinated strikes over pay, or a general strike. "In respect of industrial action the TUC will be ready to co-ordinate and support any industrial action that members vote for."
However, adding that millions of people are becoming increasingly angry over the slow recovery from the banking collapse and the accompanying austerity measures, she said: "We are not going to be sat around twiddling our thumbs, waiting for a better dawn. We have to put pressure on the government in power, now."
O'Grady said the TUC, which represents more than 50 trade unions, would push for unions to reassert their links with communities through memberships for the unemployed and other ventures such as backing credit unions in a fightback against the payday loan phenomenon.
"It's back to our roots for me. We came out of communities and we are now remembering that that is where we came from. It has always been there but it is at times like this that we remember why." Saturday would be about "middle Britain on the march," she added."It's back to our roots for me. We came out of communities and we are now remembering that that is where we came from. It has always been there but it is at times like this that we remember why." Saturday would be about "middle Britain on the march," she added.
O'Grady said unions would not focus on membership drives alone. "It's not primarily about membership numbers. It's about our positioning as champions of our communities. Some unions have always had membership from the unemployed, retired members. As a whole movement we are saying that we are here to support our communities as well as our paying members."O'Grady said unions would not focus on membership drives alone. "It's not primarily about membership numbers. It's about our positioning as champions of our communities. Some unions have always had membership from the unemployed, retired members. As a whole movement we are saying that we are here to support our communities as well as our paying members."